*This review contains some spoilers. Leave now if you haven't watched the episode yet!*
"No one is feeling that quote?"
When you call an episode "Flash vs Arrow" and build the hype to infinity and beyond, you really need to deliver or else it'll be hugely disappointing and leave fans with negative thoughts about both shows. Thankfully, that isn't the case at all and this episode was full of fan service and a crazy amount fun. Sure, I have some minor criticisms and the story isn't going to blow your mind, but man, it's such a blast and delivers pretty much everything we wanted!
First and foremost, this episode does a terrific job illustrating the difference between these two heroes and yes, the fight was all kinds of exciting. Yeah, Barry Allen has an enormous advantage with super speed, but he's still new to this and isn't nearly as tactical as he could be. Arrow is just an ordinary guy who pushed himself to become skilled, clever, and, unlike Barry, earned his abs (likely the most difficult accomplishment of them all). On paper, Flash should obliterate Arrow effortlessly, but you need to take into account how they operate in combat. Flash has an ego and thinks his speed gives him the edge he needs; Arrow analyzes the situation and does his best to find weaknesses. Well, there's several times in his own show when he doesn't (dude, don't go hand-to-hand with Bronze Tiger!), but the point is he often tries to! This episode finds a way to make these differences come front and center and, not only does it work, but it keeps things varied. This isn't just a straight forward fight and I'm sure we'll all have our favorite moments. There's some really great shots throughout the brawl and, as expected, it's sure to keep you smiling.
Despite the episode's title and some of the dialogue, this episode really isn't about these two fighting. Yes, that's the highlight and it's amazingly entertaining, but the episode's about illustrating the difference in how these two operate. It shines a spotlight on how drastically different their worlds are -- something that's transparent to anyone who watches both shows and sees how different the tones are -- and watching Oliver attempt to help Barry get better at how he approaches fights is so absorbing. Ollie's world is often oozing with darkness, so to see him smile more, laugh, and interact with more lighthearted characters was a great change of pace, too. It doesn't matter who you're rooting for because both characters are given proper credit. Like Oliver Queen said, this one is all about highlighting the differences between power and precision and it's done in such an enjoyable way. It's simply good fun, even when it dips into darker territory. Hopefully this lesson of "Barry, stop being so sloppy" is something that'll actually stick with the scarlet speedster as the show moves forward. I'd love to see the hero get better and better, because honestly, it would be pretty silly if he didn't.
This one's all about showcasing the big differences between these two characters, but the supporting cast gets a good amount of the spotlight, too! A pleasant surprise was Diggle being really, really comedic. From his initial reaction to super speed to speculating about how Barry also uses his power, Diggle was lovable and legitimately funny in this one. Plus, how hysterical was it briefly seeing Diggle -- this big, ripped dude -- and Cisco -- this not so big dude -- standing right next to one another, both folding their arms? Speaking of Cisco, he's given a handful of lines which made me bust into laughter and, as always, Felicity's full of funny remarks. There's a great amount of laughs in this one. Wells' didn't get much time to shine yet they still did just enough to remind us there's so much the character is hiding. Oliver's final remark about him was a nice bit of levity as well. See, it is possible for team Arrow to be in a more uplifting environment! What's easily the highlight between the supporting characters had to be when they acted like total fanboys and began arguing about who would win in a fight between Flash and Arrow. Here's hoping we see even more of that tomorrow night!
Okay, time to talk about the small criticisms. First up, Ray Bivolo's basically there just to be a plot device for Barry Allen and Oliver Queen to fight and illustrate the differences between the two. It's your familiar "heroes are fighting because one is brainwashed!" scenario. There's pretty much no depth or development with the villain, but it's a good way to bring the theme front and center. Barry has super speed, but -- as we've seen in several episodes -- he still has a lot to learn about fighting crime and that's something Arrow has plenty of experience doing. While some may not be a fan of it, I really liked how they skipped Arrow and Flash taking down Bivolo (you just can't top the hero vs. hero scene) and cut right to the guy being locked up and complimented it with Cisco's funny remarks. Secondly, I can't be the only one who's frustrated with Iris' decision in the end, right? Look, I do get it. Her boyfriend was assaulted by Flash and the hero lashed out at her verbally, but considering all he's done and the reason he gave, she's really not going to at least hear the guy out or be a little less harsh with her decision? Maybe she could explain she needs some space right now to think instead of just completely shutting him out like that? Hash, Iris, and that made me think of Ron Burgundy saying "that escalated quickly!" Thirdly, if Felicity is trying to keep Oliver's secret safe, she probably shouldn't be using his first name when talking about him in S.T.A.R. Labs! You too, Barry! Lastly, Flash hitting Oliver with a gazillion punches looked pretty cool; the visual effects of Barry's arms unleashing was good stuff. However, if you just look at Oliver during the scene, the onslaught of punches don't really seem like they're taking that much of a toll on him when they should be pretty devastating. It was still awesome, but the impact of the hits didn't seem as strong as they should have.
You know that smile Barry had on his face when he saw Arrow for the first time in this episode? That's pretty much the expression I had while I was watching this episode. "Flash vs Arrow" is ridiculously fun, full of comedy, and has just the right amount of emotion. Yeah, the overall plot may not be that original and it takes some familiar turns, but the absurd amount of fan service and laughs it has makes up for that and then some. It really does feel like a love letter to the fans. Plus, it manages to produce a big development or two along the way as well (although, one may be confusing for people who don't watch Arrow!). As if all this wasn't enough, there's an excellent cliffhanger. Obviously, I'm very excited to see how they handle the follow-up in tomorrow's Arrow.
Oh, and did anyone else think Wells said "Batman" at one point? I had to rewind twice to find out he really said "that man." Does anyone else think that may have been an intentional and funny little nod? "Batman" certainly fit what Wells was talking about, after all!